Karl Joonas Alamaa’s solo exhibition, “Daily Play and Bread,” is open at EKA Gallery until March 30, 2025. Trickster had a chat with an artist about art, fashion, and future. Enjoy!
BACKGROUND
I am currently 24 years old. I chose to study tailoring instead of attending a traditional high school. Later, I pursued fashion at the Estonian Academy of Fine Arts, followed by a master’s degree in costume design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. However, the program was not strictly focused on costume in the conventional sense. Rather, it explored costume as a medium within the free/autonomous arts, emphasising the ways in which creation can be activated through certain performative perspectives—without necessarily positioning myself as an artist in the position of a performer. The (physical) interaction between subject and object was central to my approach, if to define it in some way.
This path felt like a natural progression from my earlier work, particularly in reference to MANIA GRANDIOSA. Tallinn to Paris, a project created with Lisette Sivard. It remains one of my favorite and grandest projects, and it continues to evolve. As an extension of this, we will be publishing both a book and a fashion documentary this year.
Another personal highlight is my master’s thesis, Our Daily Play and Bread, which I will be presenting as an exhibition at the EKA Gallery. Additionally, Seamless January 10, a large-scale patchwork rainbow flag co-created with Lisette Sivard, holds a special place for me. As well as the experience of the creation of Limited Fun for the KUMU Art Museum, which I found deeply satisfying.
PROCESS
Many of my projects naturally evolve from previous ones. My thoughts are constantly racing, and every now and then, an idea emerges that feels worth pursuing further. Since my work isn’t confined to fashion alone, I always seek the best medium for bringing each idea to life. That said, my background as a fashion designer remains a major influence—I still approach my work with a fashion designer’s toolkit.
However, my creative process is often quite research-driven. I enjoy establishing a foundation and setting certain parameters within which I can then begin to work. My deep interest in society and history has always been a significant driving force, and nearly every project I’ve undertaken has carried a layer of social critique.
I'm also a strong believer in collective creation. Sometimes, all it takes to launch a project is a like-minded collaborator and a shared sense of determination.
Research has always been fundamental, at least for me. In Antwerp, it was also about finding the intersections between research and intuitive creation.
TRENDS
To be honest, trends don’t really interest me, and I don’t actively keep up with them. Everything moves and shifts at such a rapid pace. The fashion industry, in the traditional sense, operates in a slightly different realm than the one I navigate. However, in more alternative, younger, and exciting fashion circles, there’s a growing shift toward the artistic side of things.
I think this is largely because many designers no longer feel the urge—or the need—to contribute to the ever-accelerating capitalist fashion machine by producing functional, mass-market products. Instead, there’s a search for alternative ways to create and think about fashion. This is deeply tied to sustainability, which is no longer just a trend but a fundamental way we need to approach making things.
That said, sustainability can also be approached from a more conceptual angle. We often tend to think that sustainable fashion has to mean just another upcycled mono-material T-shirt. Let’s be real—that T-shirt won’t stop overproduction; if anything, it just adds another reason to keep producing. At the same time, people will always need clothing, and the industry will always need designers. I just prefer to contribute from a different angle because I can’t see myself helping the system from the industrial side. In my view, one of the biggest "trends" right now isn’t just the endless cycle of micro-trends and core aesthetics—it’s the rethinking of fashion’s deeply ingrained patterns and habits.
FUTURE OF FASHION
I can’t predict the future, but I do hope that fashion in Estonia can establish itself as a medium with a similar strong foundation as it has in Finland, Belgium, England etc. In Estonia, there’s still this lingering attitude—so now I’ll take the opportunity to point a finger at our mainstream (fashion)media—which either treats fashion as some razzle-dazzle or writes about it in such an overblown, uncritical way that all that’s left is one big, shiny, but utterly empty soap bubble.
I believe fashion will continue evolving beyond design medium and clothing, becoming a recognized medium within philosophy and art. I also want to believe that fashion is moving away from traditional centers like Paris, London, Milan, and luxury houses toward grassroots, independent, and DIY movements. With technology allowing for small-scale production and more direct-to-consumer models, the future might be more about community-driven creativity rather than top-down trendsetting. And who knows, some also predict fashion without products as digital fashion and fashion activism is more and more a thing.
Beyond that, I truly hope that young fashion creators have the strength to keep going and push forward despite the challenges. Sending my support to all freelancers out there!
STYLE
A confident wearer is who makes an outfit interesting. When someone finds a unique way to make an outfit their own. It’s always a joy to watch confident and bold people. If the person feels like themselves in it, then it can’t go wrong in my opinion.
HEAT OF THE MOMENT
This was my master's project, and it was an amazing experience. I’m so grateful that I got to study at this academy, and my mentors were absolutely fantastic. The exhibition explores the tensions between everyday rituals and the sense of belonging, looking into how seemingly small and trivial actions can become important and create cracks in carefully constructed power structures.
KJA
KJA is my brand, not just in fashion but in everything I do. KJA is something that could easily just be Karl Joonas Alamaa, but life has shown that it tends to become too long and dragging. KJA is a nice abbreviation. Even my friends use the kja when texting. It’s just easier that way. There’s no deep philosophy behind it.
I probably didn’t realize that, in my head, I was more of an artist than a designer from the beginning. In my own way, even when I am in the position of a fashion designer, when working with private customers, for example, or making my small unisex ready-to-wear collections, I’ve always approached it through an artistic prism.
IS ESTONIA GOOD ENOUGH?
It is, indeed. Within Estonia, it’s quite easy to stand out and get noticed. Patience is key. And I believe that if someone has a strong interest and ambition to take their fashion creations or brand to the larger world, then—yes, it’s hard, but not impossible. One example is the Lithuanian brand Urte Kat, which managed to use the COVID-19 lockdown to its advantage, using that time to build up its presence. Another example is Racer Worldwide. There needs to be a niche that sets you apart from the fashion noise, and definitely a lot of drive. It’s sad to see how many big dreams have shrunk because it’s harder to do this in Estonia, but if you really want it, it can happen.
I also believe that doing things together makes it easier. It’s also sometimes good to overcome that do-it-yourself mentality and be more open to collectivity. What I’ve noticed in Belgium is how many people form collectives, not just in fashion but in art, performance, and more. It’s a growing phenomenon. And a collective doesn’t mean abandoning your vision—there are those who do their own thing, but when it’s time to go somewhere, perform, or stand up for yourselves, it’s done together, and I think that’s a great value. Interestingly, Estonia’s best example of such creative collaboration might actually be the Embassy of Fashion.
CONSUMERISM
Breaking the cycle of overconsumption isn’t easy, but it starts with awareness. There’s no one answer to this question, probably because no one has figured it out yet, but people need to start taking responsibility. Of course, the fashion industry needs to become more sustainable, but so does the consumer’s awareness. Sometimes, I’m astonished by how much cheap crap from Chinese online stores is consumed in Europe and Estonia. It’s incredible how people don’t feel moral responsibility about it. As a joke, one might say that people need a strict shopping limit.
